Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15 Clinical Trial Required) | PA 18 343

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 343

The Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program, offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is designed to broaden participation in NIH-funded research by supporting institutions that educate a meaningful share of the nations future scientists but historically have not been major recipients of NIH research funding. This particular announcement is the R15 mechanism with a clinical trial required component, meaning proposed projects under this opportunity are expected to include a clinical trial as part of the research plan. Overall, the program focuses on strengthening the biomedical and behavioral research enterprise by enabling smaller, eligible colleges and universities to compete for and manage NIH research awards and to contribute data, discoveries, and trained personnel to the wider scientific community.

At its core, this grant supports small-scale, meritorious research projects led by faculty at eligible, domestic institutions. A central goal is to create hands-on research opportunities for students, especially undergraduates and graduate students, by embedding them in real, fundable research activities rather than limiting them to classroom or purely instructional lab experiences. AREA awards are also meant to improve the research environment at the applicant institution, which can include building sustainable research capacity, expanding mentoring and training opportunities, and strengthening the local culture and infrastructure that supports research productivity. In practice, these awards often serve as a way for faculty at teaching-focused institutions to generate publishable findings, train students in research methods, and build a track record that can lead to future, larger-scale NIH funding.

Eligibility is geared toward institutions of higher education that are not typically large NIH research powerhouses. The listed eligible applicant types include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, along with other categories that explicitly include several minority-serving institution designations. These include Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). The inclusion of these categories reflects a broader NIH interest in expanding research participation, workforce development, and research training opportunities across a diverse range of institutions and communities.

Administratively, this opportunity is a discretionary grant program using the NIH grant funding instrument, and it falls under the broad activity area of health, income security, and social services. The opportunity number is PA-18-343, and it was created on 2017-11-03, with an original closing date listed as 2019-01-10. The funding ceiling shown is $300,000, indicating the maximum award amount under the opportunity as provided in the source data. Several CFDA program numbers are associated with the announcement (93.173, 93.242, 93.286, 93.865), reflecting the NIH program authorities through which awards may be made depending on the institute, center, or specific scientific area involved.

In summary, this NIH AREA R15 clinical trial required opportunity is intended for eligible U.S. colleges and universities that want to conduct a modestly scaled, faculty-led research project that includes a clinical trial, while also providing meaningful research experiences for students and strengthening the institutions overall research capacity. The program is best suited to institutions that emphasize education and training but want to expand their contribution to biomedical and behavioral research and build a stronger platform for future NIH engagement.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173, 93.242, 93.286, 93.865.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-01-10. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for PA 18 343

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: